Fashion Trust Arabia Announces 2021 Winners At A Star-Studded Gala
From supermodels Irina Shayk, Naomi Campbell and Natalia Vodianova to industry elite like Virgil Abloh, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Gherardo Felloni the non-profit initiative revealed the six recipients of this year’s grant
Some of the biggest names in the industry descended upon Doha yesterday, as Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and Co-Chair of Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA), under the Patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mossa Bint Nasser, and founder Tania Fares, welcomed VIP guests, judges, and nominees for an evening that celebrated the best in regional design, creativity and entrepreneurship.
Alexa Chung 
Carine Roitfeld 
Pierpaolo Piccioli and Gillian Anderson 
Farida Khelfa and Haider Ackermann 
Virgil Abloh 
Irina Shayk 
Olivia Phillips and Bianca Bonomi 
Hand-picked by the FTA Jury (which counts Alexa Chung, Carine Roitfeld, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, and Natalia Vodianova as members), 24 finalists had the opportunity to present their collections before the six winners were announced yesterday at the gala.
Here, Bazaar shares the full list of Fashion Trust Arabia 2021 Winners.
Ready-to-Wear Designer Winner: Zaid Affas
Jewellery Designer Winner: Alia Bin Omair
Accessories Designer Winner: Port Tanger (by Bilal Fellah)
Eveningwear Designer Winner: Benchellal (by Mohamed Benchellal)
Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award: El Tayeb Nation (by Abdelgarder El Tayeb)
Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Amina Muaddi
Guest Country (in partnership with Columbia): A New Cross (by Agustin Nicolas Rivero)
Amina Muaddi and Virgil Abloh
Each winner will receive financial support of up to $200,000 (Dhs734,590) and benefit from an extensive mentorship program with key FTA partners.
This includes a special partnership with retailer MATCHESFASHION, which will be stocking exclusively on its website all FTA 2021 winners, in addition to providing business mentorship – a crucial element when it comes to supporting emerging designers and ensuring their success.
For more information, visit fashiontrustarabia.com
Photo by David M. Benett
